Hotel Hostages
by lightwarai
Summary: Young Frank, Joe, and Nancy must figure out how to solve the mystery of boredom. But what happens when they find a REAL mystery? [Chap 4 UPDATED]
1. Chapter 1

**This is an idea I've had floating around for a while. I'm stuck on the sequel to "Nancy's Heart," so I figured I'd give this one some life for a while. It's probably going to be kinda short (as in # of chapters.) But I hope you like it!**

**(Added at a later date) I keep forgetting this part!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Nancy, Joe, Frank, Carson, Fenton, Laura, Hannah, or… wait. I think that's it.**

Hotel Hostages

Chapter 1

"Dad? Do we hafta go?" six-year-old Joe Hardy whined to his father, Fenton. His blonde hair, tousled by the wind, glinted in the afternoon's sunlight. He tugged on his father's hand, hoping the action would make his father slow down.

Joe's brother, Frank, older by a year, trudged behind a few steps. "Dad, it's boring there. Can't we stay home and play?"

Fenton Hardy hid a laugh behind one hand, while his other held onto Joe's tightly as they walked down the sidewalk of their house towards the car, parked at the curb. "Frank, Joe. I expect you two to be on your best behavior. That means no interrupting, no jokes, and especially, no whining."

Joe grumbled quietly to himself, but Frank remained quiet. Their father, a private investigator, rarely took them along on appointments dealing with his cases, even though Frank and Joe begged to go nearly every time. Especially when the police station, their favorite place to go, was his destination.

This time, however, he was headed to an all-day conference in New York. He would have left his sons home with their mother, Laura, but she hadn't returned yet from a trip to see her sister.

This was an annual conference, and this time, New York City had been the chosen location. People of all careers, dealing with criminal activity and law enforcement, had been invited. This year, Fenton was one of the guest presenters.

Luckily for him, the event organizers had been gracious enough to provide an area for the children of their guests. A room was being provided with games, snacks, movies, and the works. He knew supervision was being provided as well, and he hoped that for once, his eager sons would behave.

Both fancied themselves detectives, just like their father. And on occasion, they had proven their developing abilities. But those abilities tended to get them in trouble quite often.

An hour later, they arrived at the hotel where the conference was being held. Both boys stood in front of the large, glassed-in revolving doors of the tall building. Neither of them had seen such a fancy building. Fenton ushered his sons inside the exquisite hotel, where they were greeted by a young woman.

"Oh, you must be Frank and Joe! My name is Lita Keane. I've heard so much about you two, I expected you to be teenagers!" the woman exclaimed, winking at Fenton.

Frank smiled modestly. "We're smart for our age," he replied, holding his head and shoulders high, trying to appear older.

Joe just looked at the woman, whose straight black hair hung past her waist. He studied her. She looked younger than his teacher at school. Maybe she'd be kinda cool, he thought. His teacher at school always seemed to be yelling at him.

He removed his hand from his father's hold. "Don't worry, Dad. We'll be good. Promise."

Fenton smiled. "I know you will. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. Nancy Drew will be here with her dad. So you will have a friend to have fun with."

Joe groaned. "Not her. She's bossy."

Fenton laid a hand on Joe's head, forcing him to look up. "Joseph. I want you to be nice to Nancy. One day, you two will be great friends." He glanced at Lita. "If you have any problems, you know how to find me."

Lita nodded, winking at the older gentleman. "We'll be fine." She looked at Frank and Joe. "You guys ready to join the others? We have all kinds of video games up in the room."

Joe's eyes lit up at that. "Really?" He grabbed hold of Lita's hand and started dragging her away from his father.

Lita and Joe began talking about the games as they walked away. Frank glanced over at his dad, who was smiling. "Don't worry, Dad," he reassured his father. "I'll keep Joe out of trouble."

Fenton chuckled. "Watch out for Nancy, too. And you three stay out of trouble." Famous last words, he thought. With those three together, trouble was never far behind.

Joe and Lita chatted like old friends during the short elevator ride to the fourth floor. It didn't seem to take long for Joe to be awed by Lita's "coolness." Frank, however, was excited about seeing Nancy Drew. He always had fun playing with her, even though Joe teased him about her.

"_Frank and Nancy sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."_ Joe had teased him relentlessly.

That teasing had resulted in Nancy chasing Joe down and tickling him senseless. Joe, still going through the cootie phase at the time, had nearly died.

Frank grinned broadly at that memory. Nancy was the only girl he knew who wasn't afraid of getting dirty.

When the Lita, Frank, and Joe entered the room, the first thing Joe noticed was the television in the corner. Another boy about his age was staring intently at the screen as a green car zoomed around a track. Joe immediately dropped Lita's hand and ran over to the boy. "Can I play, too?"

The boy nodded without looking away from the screen. "You can't be the green car, 'cause it's my favorite. You can be the yellow if you want."

Joe eagerly picked up the controller. Soon, the two were bickering good-naturedly about who had the fastest car.

Frank, on the other hand, had spotted Nancy at a table nearby, sitting with another boy and girl. The boy was much younger than the girl, who was patiently showing him how to put together a puzzle. From their identically-freckled faces, Frank figured they were brother and sister.

Frank sat next to Nancy, and rested his elbows on the table, quietly observing her for a minute. "Whatcha' doing?" He propped his chin up in his hands and looked at Nancy. Her tongue was sticking out, as she concentrated on a blue mound of Play-Doh.

She looked up and grinned at Frank. "I'm making a dog." She frowned, her delicate hands kneading the mass of dough. "But it doesn't ever look right." Nancy shoved the mass into Frank's hands. "Here. You do it!"

He went to work on the Play-Doh, as Nancy watched in amazement.

NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB

Meanwhile, Carson Drew stood up and waved when he saw Fenton Hardy walk into the room. The old friends greeted each other warmly, and Carson gestured to an empty seat across from him.

Fenton gladly took it and glanced at his watch. "I'm telling you, Carson. It's only been ten minutes, but I already feel they're into trouble."

Carson laughed. "You underestimate them, I think. For once, those three aren't the only kids around. There are other children for them to make friends with, and lots of toys and games to keep them busy. Maybe, for once, they'll stay put."

Both men were quiet for a moment, each silently hoping Carson's statement would come true. Then their eyes met, and they laughed at the absurdity of such a thought.

NDHB NDHD NDHB NDHB

**Hope this gets you interested. I have a fun little plot laid out for the young crime-solvers. As always, I'm ready for comments, suggestions, (no flames), and the usual. Thanks and hope you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for taking a while to get this out. We're doing Vacation Bible School in the evenings right now and my class (the 2-year-olds) are wearing me out! Hopefully won't take so long for the next chapter! Thanks again for the reviews!**

Hotel Hostages

Chapter 2

Joe wandered over to where Nancy and Frank were now playing the "Clue, Jr." board game. "I'm bored," he announced and plopped down on the floor next to Frank. He stared glumly at the board. He could never understand why Frank liked board games instead of video games.

Nancy's eyes twinkled as she glanced up from the pad of paper she was holding in her hands. "Then let's sneak out of here." She glanced around the room. All of the adults were busy reading books, changing baby diapers, or separating arguing children. She snuck out all the time at home while Hannah wasn't paying attention. Here, there were lots more distractions, she thought happily.

"We can't do that! We'll get in trouble!" Frank exclaimed. The last thing he wanted was to get in trouble. Again. Trouble seemed to follow Joe.

"SHHH!" Joe clapped his hand over Frank's mouth. "You gotta be quiet!" He grinned at Nancy. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all, he decided. He liked the idea of getting away from all the adults and babies. He was seven after all. He didn't need a babysitter; he needed an adventure!

Frank pretended to spit on his brother's hand, and Joe jerked his hand away, wiping his hand on Frank's shirt. "Eww. That's mean."

"I was just pretending, Joe!" He looked at Nancy. "But how are we going to sneak out? There are lots of people around."

She grinned. "What we need is a...," she paused, searching for the word. She'd heard grownups say it before, but it was a hard word for her little mind.

"A diversion?" Frank supplied.

Nancy's eyes lit up. "Yeah! A diversion. Otherwise, we'll get caught when we try to sneak out."

The three children sat quietly in their little circle, each pondering a plan. To any adult idly watching, it looked as if they were concentrating on the game. But inside, their young minds were whirling with crazy ideas.

But luckily, a plan wasn't needed.

"GIVE IT BACK!" shouted a black-haired little boy. He grabbed a squishy ball out of another boy's grasp. "IT'S MINE!" He reached out with his free hand and shoved the little boy, who dramatically collapsed on the ground.

Some of the supervising adults rushed over to the pair, just as the second boy let out a blood-curling scream. The adults who were not dealing with the two boys quickly found themselves struggling with chain-reaction crying.

Nancy grabbed Frank's and Joe's hands and quickly pulled them toward the door. Now was their chance and she wasn't about to let it pass by!

Instantly, the three found themselves outside the room. Each froze, waiting for the inevitable. But it never came. They glanced cautiously around.

"I don't think anyone saw us," Joe said, still a little unsure.

Nancy headed down the hallway. "Let's go to my room and make a plan." Frank and Joe followed dutifully down the hallway, and around the corner. She marched proudly past doors as she pulled out her keycard. She was glad she had been able to talk her father into letting her carry her own "like a big girl."

"I want to play a game," Joe stated once Nancy had let them into her room with her card. "Something really fun!" He jumped up on the bed.

Nancy nodded eagerly. "Me, too! What should we play?" She sat down in a chair and toyed with the furnished phone book.

"I wanna play Hide and Seek," was Joe's flat reply.

Frank shook his head. "This room is too small to play that game."

Joe stamped his foot impatiently. "But I wanna play Hide and Seek!" He glanced around the room. "Maybe we can play in the hallway. Or the whole-" he raised his arms and stretched them out in opposite directions, "-hotel."

Nancy grinned. "Yeah! We could play in the whole building! But let's play Secret Agents instead! Hide and Seek is a kid's game!"

Joe crossed his arms huffily. He was NOT a kid, he thought crossly. And he hated when Nancy wouldn't do what he wanted to do. "What is Secret Agents?" he asked dully, trying to act as uninterested as possible.

She clapped her hands together. "You get to sneak around and spy on people! It's really, really fun!"

"Oh."

"Let's play!" Frank decided for them all, before Joe could pick a fight with Nancy. "But who are we going to spy on?"

"Everyone! Just find a person. We can even split up so we can spy on different people." Nancy picked up her father's sunglasses and handed them to Joe, and then placed her father's hat on Frank's head. It slid down over his eyes. "We can wear these as skys-es," she explained, mispronouncing the word.

Frank pushed the hat up. "Disguises," he corrected. But the more he thought about it, the better this game was sounding. "Let's synchronize our watches like they do in the movies!" Frank suggested, taking off his analogy-display watch.

Joe looked at his watch, a simple, but durable, digital watch. "How do we do that?"

Frank shrugged and grinned easily. "I'm not really sure," he admitted. "So are there any rules?"

Nancy nodded, her red hair bobbing on her shoulders. "You can spy on anyone, but you can't get caught. And you can't tell anyone what you are doing. If you get caught, you can't let them know, cause then we'll all get in trouble."

After a few more brief, but not necessary instructions, the three decided to meet back at Nancy's room in half an hour.

As they left and went separate ways, Joe shoved his hands in his pocket. The large sunglasses kept slipping down his nose, making it nearly impossible to see. He propped them up on top of his head and walked toward the elevator. He pushed the button on top, and waited, tapping his foot. "I hope this isn't boring," he said to himself.

The doors opened seconds later and Joe entered the elevator. An older couple was standing off to the side, and they smiled warmly at Joe when he walked in. He smiled back, but then his smile faded as he noticed the buttons for the floors were too high for him to reach.

The elderly man noticed his face. "May I push a button for you, young sir?" he asked politely, knowing how easily young feelings could be hurt.

Joe replied, "The top, please." He liked the old man. He didn't have any hair on top of his head, but it was all over his face between his nose and his mouth.

The old man chuckled and complied with the request, pushing the button for the 12th floor.

"How are you today, young sir?" The lady asked, her big earrings dangling as she spoke.

Joe flashed a grin, the same wide, easy grin that had always attracted attention. "Fine. But I'm kinda hungry."

The couple chuckled. "Well, you're headed to the proper floor." The lady leaned down and whispered conspiratorially to him, "I hear they have good food there."

"Really?" Joe whispered back.

"Really."

After the couple had exited at the next floor, Joe rode in silence. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he didn't care. Any place was better than that dumb daycare or listening to Nancy boss him around. And he would love to find some food.

When the elevator chimed and the doors slid open, Joe's eyes widened in awe. "Cool!" he gasped.

_NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB_

**Still more to come! Again, thank you for reviewing and commenting! You guys are FANTASTIC!**


	3. Chapter 3

**To clear up some confusion: I've made Joe seven, so Frank and Nancy are eight. Also, I've been spending a lot of time with kids lately, and it's STILL hard to write from that perspective! So I hope you guys forgive me if their actions and words don't seem ENTIRELY correct for that age.**

**I hope that helps some. Again, thanks so much for continuing with me and reviewing! You guys are great encouragement!**

Hotel Hostages

Chapter 3

When the elevator chimed and the doors slid open, Joe's eyes widened in awe. "Cool!" he gasped.

He stepped out of the elevator cautiously and looked around. He was on the roof of the building. But instead of the space being wide-open, the walls were made almost entirely of glass. To Joe, it looked like a room only really fancy parties were held in.

Except this room was filled with brightly-colored balloons. Filled. As in, little room to walk, filled, Joe thought excitedly. He felt as if he were standing in the middle of a rainbow.

The elevator doors slid shut, and began its decent, as a voice called out, "Mario! Is that you?"

Joe heard a clicking noise and quickly hid behind a large planter, not wanting to be seen. Surely, if he were caught up here, he would be in all kinds of trouble. From his spot, he watched as man, dressed in a white apron, chef's hat, and black pants, entered the room from somewhere, his polished black shoes clicking on the floor.

"Mario? Are you playing jokes again?" the man asked again. He walked toward the elevator, heading straight for Joe's hiding place. Joe peeked through the branches, and slid to the side, slowing keeping the large plant between himself and the big chef.

Seeing no one in the room, the chef walked back through some swinging doors off to the side.

Satisfied that the chef was gone, Joe stood up and looked around. There were party hats stacked along a wall. He walked to the table and carefully inspected it. In front of each party hat was a gift bag. He picked up a gift bag and looked inside.

"Candy!" He dumped the bag out onto the floor and began sifting through the pile. He wasn't allowed candy very often. His mother always said he already had too much energy, and didn't need fuel. But Joe could never understand what she meant. He didn't need fuel, only cars did, he thought.

But this large pile of candy was nearly too much for Joe! He grabbed handfuls of candy and shoved them in his little pockets.

As he chose his preferred sugar, the elevator began whirring again. He scooped the rest into the bag and hastily placed it back on the table.

_DING! _

Just in time, Joe slid under the deep blue tablecloth as the doors opened. He hid under the table, peeking out under the heavy cloth. He could see two sets of legs walk in. The first person came into view, and Joe realized she was a lady, because of her her skirt. The second person ran over to the table and halted directly in front of where Joe was. He slid further under the table.

It was a little girl, wearing hot pink leggings and shiny black dress shoes. The girl's lacey skirt flared out from her waist.

"Mommy! Mommy! Lookie!" the little girl cried. Joe watched as the little rose up on her tip-toes. "Is all this for my party?"

The mother laughed softly as she walked over to where her eager daughter was busily admiring the party bags. "Yes, Annie. These bags are for your friends that you've invited to the party."

The small feet tapped anxiously as she shifted from foot to foot. "Are they gonna be here soon? I can't wait to open my presents!"

"Honey, I hope that's not the reason you wanted a party. You should have fun with your friends. Presents shouldn't be the most important thing," the mother admonished. "Now, let's go see Mr. Clark about your birthday cake."

Joe grinned. Cake, he thought excitedly. He would definitely have to stay for this party.

"Can we eat cake now, Mommy?"

The mother laughed. "No, honey. The party isn't for another two hours. Cake will be later."

Joe sighed heavily as the mother and daughter walked to where the big chef had gone. Two whole hours? I'll die by that time, he thought.

_NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB_

Frank tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Nancy and Joe to return from wherever they went. He threw up his hands in exasperation when he saw Nancy round the corner. "You're late! I've been here for _years_!"

Nancy grinned. "Sorry. I forgot about the time." She looked around. "At least I'm not the lastest!" She popped her card in the lock and swung the door open so they both could enter.

"Last," Frank correctly her solemnly. "You keep saying it wrong."

"Saying what?" Nancy asked as she pulled out a notebook and a pen. The notebook had a pink unicorn on the front, and Frank rolled his eyes.

"Nevermind. I thought you didn't like pink!" Nancy had once thrown a fit and cried when someone had given her a pink stuffed animal. She got into a lot of trouble with her dad, he remembered.

She shrugged, as if pink had _always_ been her favorite color. "Now," she started. "What did you see?"

Frank glanced around the room. "Shouldn't we wait for Joe?" he asked.

"Maybe." Nancy glanced at the clock. "I guess he has been gone a while."

"We should go look for him," Frank declared, jumping off his spot on the bed. "He's been a long time, and he's only _seven_," he emphasized. He had started to worry about his brother. His dad told him to watch out for Joe, and he didn't want to disobey.

"Oh! Maybe he's been kidnapped!" Nancy exclaimed excitedly.

Frank's brown eyes widened. "No way! That stuff only happens in movies and books!"

Nancy shrugged again. "Maybe. But we better go find him! Everyone knows how much Joe gets into trouble."

"He does not always get into trouble!" Frank said, defending his brother. After all, he thought. No one else was allowed to be mean to Joe, except for himself.

But Nancy was already out the door and headed down the hall.

_NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB_

Carson Drew yawned inwardly as he listened to Robert Feldman drone on about forensic evidence. It wasn't the most interesting lecture he'd ever heard, nor was it the most appealing, he thought ruefully. Especially after eating lasagna for lunch.

The conference had, over all, been a well of information, and he'd enjoyed it thoroughly. But there was always a monotone speaker who could put him to sleep.

He glanced over at his friend. Fenton was listening attentively, pausing every few moments to jot down a note.. A topic of this nature interested him, though Carson could never understand how anybody would _want_ to learn about something so ... so… nauseating.

But at long last, the lecture was over. And once again, Carson felt himself stand up for a much needed stretch.

He nodded politely to the other members of his table, excusing himself to go check on his daughter. She'd be more adventurous recently, and with the Hardy boys, there's no telling what might be happening.

As he headed to a hotel phone, Fenton caught up to him. "Carson! I'd like you to meet someone real quick."

Carson glanced longingly at the phone. "Let me just check on Nancy real quick."

The private detective laughed. "I know how you feel, but don't you think someone would have called us already if something had happened?"

Carson hesitated, knowing full well that his friend was right. "Alright. But next break, I'm calling!"

Fenton waved his hand. "Fine, fine. But for now, I'd like to you to meet a friend. Dr. Tabitha Dunnigan."

Carson groaned to himself as he turned to face Dr. Dunnigan, who just happened to be standing with Robert Feldman. At the moment, he'd rather be babysitting the three children than talking to Feldman. He nearly envied the childcare workers.

Nearly.

_NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB_

**I almost feel as if this is too boring. Hopefully you guys disagree, but if you agree, please say something. I don't want to bore my readers! Thanks for reading to this point!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, um. See… there was this huge tornado, and it made my house fly away, and my dog was so scared, that it ate my story. And then my hands fell off… so I couldn't write, and.. um... and...**

**Yeah.. I'm finally back to writing this thing. I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry for the long absence. Thanks to EVERYONE for all their encouragement and (gentle.. sometimes!) nudging to get this thing updated. My most sincere apologies.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, still don't own them. **

Hotel Hostages

Chapter 4

After Joe left the party floor, he went in search of Frank and Nancy. This party was _definitely_ something he wanted to share with them. As he stepped into the elevator, he once again realized the buttons were just out of his reach. He stood still for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do. He stood on his tip-toes and reached as far as he could to the buttons, but they were still too far away. He pressed himself as flat up against the wall as possible to get the extra length, but still nothing. He rocked back on his heels, and a new thought occurred to him.

"I don't know what button to push!" Joe's palms grew sweaty as he began to realize his problem, until the elevator began whirring and the doors closed automatically.

As the elevator descended down the levels, Joe breathed a sigh of relief. At least now he could get out of the elevator and not be stuck on the top floor.

When the doors finally opened, he stepped out. In front of him was a large area, with tables and chairs. He wandered out of the compartment, realizing he was back on the first floor, where he had first met Lita. There were plenty of adults around, and Joe realized if he wasn't careful, he could get into a lot of trouble for having left.

Glancing around, he thought he saw his father and another lady headed his way! "Dad?" He just knew it! He'd been caught! The only thing left to do was hide!

He quickly spun around and turned the corner, ran down the long hallway, and slid behind a large, cushy chair. It was the only thing he could find. Ad he hid, angry voices echoed down the hallway. Peering underneath the chair, he could see two sets of feet moving towards him. He cowered lower.

"What do you mean, lost? How could you possibly have lost something so valuable?" the man's deep voice boomed.

"Honey, I didn't lose it," the softer voice returned. "You know I wouldn't do something so careless."

The man snorted. "Then where is it, Madeline? That necklace was worth-"

"Worth what? A heart attack?" Madeline's feet quit moving right in front of Joe's hiding spot. "You need to calm down. It's a material item. Jacob, your health is far more important to me!"

Joe held his breath when Jacob didn't respond. He just knew the man had probably found his hiding place!

But after a long moment, the man heaved a great sigh. "I'm sorry, Madeline. As a jeweler.." his voice trailed off.

"I know, dear. As a jeweler, every piece is something special, and that necklace was no exception."

_RING RING_

Joe nearly yelped as a cell phone rang, startling all three.

"Hello? … Yes, this is Madeline Croft. … The necklace? Well, it was 18 karat white gold, 115 diamonds, one strand, each set in three prongs. Yes, yes. ... Worth? Over sixteen thousand dollars."

The phone conversation continued, but Joe wasn't paying attention.

_Sixteen thousand dollars? _Joe's eyes widened at the thought of all that money. He didn't know how much that was, but it was so much more than what his piggy bank held! He sat quietly, his mind working. If he could find that necklace…

Joe wiggled in anticipation. Detective Joe was on the case!

_NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB_

Meanwhile, Frank, having tossed the hat off before following Nancy out the door, was starting to feel desperate. He had left his little brother by himself, and if he couldn't find Joe, he was going to be in big trouble!

He and Nancy had started with the 2nd floor, and walked down all the hallways. Every time they turned a corner, he hoped to find Joe. But each time, no luck.

"This is my fault. If I had been a better brother," he took a deep breath. "If I had followed him and not let him be by himself, they he wouldn't be lost. And then we wouldn't get into trouble!"

Nancy shook her head as she walked quickly beside him, struggling to keep up with his pace. "It's my fault," she whispered softly. She fought the tears that burned her eyes. _I won't be a baby about this! I'm a detective, after all!_ she thought. She grabbed Frank's hand and took off running. "C'mon, slowpoke! We have to find Joe!"

_NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB_

"I'm sorry, Lita, I can't find Frank or Joe Hardy, or Nancy Drew. I've checked over the entire check-in/check-out list, and everyone is here except those three," Adrian whispered quietly to Lita.

Lita sighed and rubbed her temples. In a phone conversation the previous day, Fenton Hardy had warned her of his sons' curiosity and disregard for rules. But she really hadn't thought they'd sneak out. She definitely didn't see it coming from Nancy, though. But, the three appeared to be good friends when the boys arrived that morning. She sighed. "Thanks, Adrian. I'm going to call Mr. Drew and Mr. Hardy. While I do that, would you please call Security and let them know to be watching for them?"

Adrian nodded and walked away to make the phone call. She was grateful Lita had volunteered to call the fathers, something she would have dreaded. As the other workers gathered the children around for lunch time, Adrian slipped quietly into the office to make her call.

Lita, however, perched herself on the edge of the desk near the front and reached for the phone, dialing the reception area for the conference room. "Hey, Judy. It's Lita upstairs. Would you be able to pull Carson Drew and Fenton Hardy out of the meeting for a few minutes?"

There was a short pause. "Fenton is in the middle of his presentation right now, but I'll have Corey get Carson. Would you mind holding for a moment?"

"No problem. Thanks, Judy." Lita leaned back in her chair as she waited patiently. She hated to disturb anyone during a meeting, but in her opinion, children should always come first, especially during emergencies. And normally, she would have been nervous about calling, but both men seemed patient and understanding when they had met earlier in the morning. She felt that the children's disobedience was a common occurrence in each household.

"This is Carson Drew," Carson's voice came over the line.

"Hi, Mr. Drew. I apologize for calling and interrupting, but-"

Carson chuckled lightly. "No need to apologize. I'm sure Nancy and the boys have gotten into some type of trouble, right?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking. Actually, we can't find the three. There was a bit of ruckus earlier, and I think all three snuck out of here. I'm sure they aren't in any danger, but we've alerted security to be on the lookout," she explained.

There was an audible sigh on Carson's end. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised," he paused for a moment, thinking. "I'm sure they won't leave the hotel. Most likely, they went looking for something more exciting. Not that the area you have set up is boring, of course," he added in a hurry. "They just like to think they are adults and are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. When Mr. Hardy finishes, we'll call you back to see how it's going. I'm not worried, well, you never know."

After hanging up, Lita sighed heavily. No matter how gracious he had been, she still felt solely responsible. But the sudden wail of another child wouldn't allow her to dwell. Not when duty called.

**I'll try to be better about my future updates. Hope I still have some people reading. If not, oh well. ******** I'll finish anyway!**


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